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Q: Why did the Catholic Church have to execute scientists in the 17th century and above?
A: Catholic Church did not execute scientists. I am not sure where this information was obtained from but to my knowledge it's not true. There have been times where there has been conflict between the Church and some scientists (like Galilee Galileo) but they were not executed. For example Galilee was sentenced with house imprisonment. And in his case the problem was not about science but rather Galilee interfering in to the matters of faith (i.e. how to interpret the Bible). As a further note it should be noted that Galilee was wrong in his scientific theory of Sun being the center of the universe.
Q: Do miscarried fetuses have souls? If so, what happens to them?
A: All living things have souls, and all human beings have spiritual, rational souls made in the image and likeness of God. If a human being is conceived then that person has a spiritual, rational soul. So, yes, miscarried children do indeed have human souls. As for their eternal destiny, they share the same hope for heaven that the Church believes is possible for all unbaptized children (cf. CCC 1261).
Q&A from Catholic Answers, "Quick 5" (San Diego: Catholic Answers, 2001)
Q&A from Catholic Answers, "Quick 5" (San Diego: Catholic Answers, 2001)
Q: Is it judgmental to point out someone's error?
A: First, pointing out the truth is not judgmental. Here are a few more examples of what does not constitute being judgmental:
-It is not judgmental to make a moral appraisal of whether a person's actions are sinful or whether the person is likely culpable for them.
-It is not judgmental to have a negative emotional reaction to what is objectively evil.
-It is not judgmental to bear in mind that a person you have forgiven has committed harmful actions in the past and may commit them again in the future.
One way to avoid being judgmental is to avoid making rash judgments.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor's thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way: "Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another's statement than to condemn it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it. And if the latter understands it badly, let the former correct him with love. If that does not suffice, let the Christian try all suitable ways to bring the other to a correct interpretation so that he may be saved" (CCC 2478, cf. St. Ignatius, Spiritual Exercises 22).
Q&A from Catholic Answers, "Quick 5" (San Diego: Catholic Answers, 2001)
-It is not judgmental to make a moral appraisal of whether a person's actions are sinful or whether the person is likely culpable for them.
-It is not judgmental to have a negative emotional reaction to what is objectively evil.
-It is not judgmental to bear in mind that a person you have forgiven has committed harmful actions in the past and may commit them again in the future.
One way to avoid being judgmental is to avoid making rash judgments.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor's thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way: "Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another's statement than to condemn it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it. And if the latter understands it badly, let the former correct him with love. If that does not suffice, let the Christian try all suitable ways to bring the other to a correct interpretation so that he may be saved" (CCC 2478, cf. St. Ignatius, Spiritual Exercises 22).
Q&A from Catholic Answers, "Quick 5" (San Diego: Catholic Answers, 2001)
Q: If a person does not believe the consecrated host becomes the true body and blood of Christ, does that make a difference in what happens when he receives it? If he were given a shot of morphine, his belief that it is not morphine would not change the effects on his body. It would seem the same thing happens with the host. The body and blood of Christ enters his body and gives him grace, no matter what he believes.
A: Every one of the sacraments is a personal encounter with Jesus. Grace is a share in his life and in his love. He never forces his love on anyone. Certainly the reality of the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist does not depend on the state of soul of the communicant. He can receive the Eucharist as an act of sacrilege. But he cannot receive the grace of the sacrament without a proper attitude or disposition. It's like going to the well without a bucket. The water is real. But without a bucket, he leaves without any water. Love is two ways. A person cannot enter into a love relationship without being willing to love.
Q&A from Catholic Answers, "Quick 5" (San Diego: Catholic Answers, 2001)
Q&A from Catholic Answers, "Quick 5" (San Diego: Catholic Answers, 2001)
Q: Was Jesus male before the Incarnation?
A: Before the Incarnation the Son was pure spirit, just as are the Father and the Holy Spirit. As such, he did not have gender at that time. Only when the Son incarnated as the man Christ Jesus did he become male. The Father and the Holy Spirit remain pure spirit and so do not have biological gender.
For the purpose of revealing himself to us, God has revealed his Trinitarian self primarily in masculine terms because he is the instigator, the first cause; it is he who initiates salvation. It is the Church that is revealed in feminine terms because the Church is the recipient of salvation and the one who nurtures Christians with the graces received from God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Q&A from Catholic Answers, "Quick 5" (San Diego: Catholic Answers, 2001)
For the purpose of revealing himself to us, God has revealed his Trinitarian self primarily in masculine terms because he is the instigator, the first cause; it is he who initiates salvation. It is the Church that is revealed in feminine terms because the Church is the recipient of salvation and the one who nurtures Christians with the graces received from God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Q&A from Catholic Answers, "Quick 5" (San Diego: Catholic Answers, 2001)